1. I have some pretty expensive foodie habits, with these Barefruit apple chips being one of those…
So imagine my absolute glee when I came across them at Winners (Canadian equivalent of TJMaxx) the other day a really good price. I may or may not have gone a little overboard in stocking up, but hey… it was all in the name of saving money.
Now if only I could cut back on my snacking habit. Notice how 4 of the bags are already empty? Crack, people… crack.
2. Another fantastic find that I’m pretty sure made me squeak with excitement? This iPhone cover…
I have a huge weakness for anything and everything cute and/or cuddly, so you better believe I was all over this. It’s a little cumbersome, but so cute that I’ll make it work if it kills me, especially because it goes so well with my lucky panda keychain… which was completely unplanned.
3. Also unplanned? A mid week trip to the mall.
Infinity scarf – Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Touchable hairspray – OPI I Theadora You – Philosophy Vitamin C powder – Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy
Oh wow. So I know this is starting to look a little bad, but I promise I’m not a shopaholic (denial?). Food and beauty items just happen to be my weakness… along with cute accessories. We all have our things. I don’t go out to eat/drink much, and very rarely buy new clothes, so this is where most of my spending money goes.
4. If only my allergies would follow suit and disappear just as easily. As much as I love this time of the year, it’s pretty much a nightmare when it comes to my allergies. Actually, I shouldn’t even say that – my allergies haven’t been bad ever since I cleaned up my diet, so I only really suffer from puffy eyes and an occasional sneeze, but seeing this when I touch pretty much any flat surface in my home kind of freaks me out nonetheless…
Nothing like a nice coat of pollen to spruce up your interior decor. Needless to say, I’ll be keeping my windows closed for a little while.
5. Does anyone else find that the longer they sit still, the more tired they become? I swear… I end up feeling way more exhausted after a day of sitting at the computer than I do after a day of running around taking care of errands. I have no idea why that is – it’s just another one of those inexplicable mysteries of life – kind of like how one sock always managed to vanish between the dryer and my bedroom…
6. Does anyone remember this dying breed?
The ever-endangered pay phone. Kudos if you remember them, and bonus points if you have memories of scrambling for change at 3 AM so that you could use one. Oh! And do you remember counting the rings and trying to time it so that you could hang up before it went to voicemail and ate your quarter? Good times.
7. And while we’re reminiscing… who remembers these guys?
I was looking for staples (??) the other day when I came across my old Mr. Sketch markers. The best part? They still smell. Does anyone remember fighting for the best smelling ones in school? The red, or pink, or baby blue ones? And what the heck is up with the black one? I know it’s supposed to smell like black liquorice, but dang… it stinks.
8. I couldn’t think of a song to share with you guys this week, so I hit shuffle on my iPod and this is the first song that popped up.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be_pWWlf0xA&w=560&h=315″]
Yes… I have very strange and eclectic taste in music.
9. But at least I’m not crazy enough to count the calories in my dog’s diet…
Hey, hey! Less than 10 calories per treat! Is this like a dog’s version of our 100-calorie snack packs? Because if it is, I can’t imagine it tastes any good. But I digress. I realize that being overweight is just as bad for animals as it is for us, but calories? Really?!? Do people actually know how many calories their pets should be eating? Can you calculate your dog’s BMR or your cat’s burn rate? This is just taking calorie-counting to a whole new level.
10. Did you know… that 0% yogurt is a lot more sour than 2%?
I had to make an emergency grocery run to pick up some yogurt after work the other day, and they were all out of plain 2% so I grabbed a tub of 0% to tide me over. It does the job, but dang… All I can say is thank goodness I’m over my -everything-has-to-be-fat-free-phase.
Happy Thursday, friends!
. – . – . – .
What kind of iPhone cover do you have?
What do you spend most of your money on? Food? Clothes? Shoes? Makeup? Collectible action figures?
Do you suffer from allergies around this time of year?
I def spend most of my money on food. I’m not a big shopper… at all! lol
I totally remember those markers!!! Too fun!
I had no idea that 0% yogurt was more sour! I should try buying 2%. Although speaking of greek yogurt, that is just one of my many expensive food habits. I spend a s*** ton of money on food for such a small person. It’s that damn health food store and that silly creamy yogurt! (that I will never give up)
I definitely spend the majority of my money on food…it’s an addiction! I can’t help it! I’ve actually sworn off of TJ Maxx for a while until I can finally make a dent in some of the condiments and other pantry items I’ve been hoarding for the last few (err, SEVERAL!) months! Nut butters are the worst for me…I may or may not have like 10 jars open right now! 😯
And seriously?! Omg, I haven’t thought about those markers in FOREVER!!! I can’t believe they still smell! Also, kudos to you for remembering when pay phones cost a quarter! Haha! Last time I had to use one, it was like 50 cents!
My expensive food splurges: quest bars and greens plus chocolate protein bars. Enough said.
OMG – those markets!!! I forgot about those. I think I got high sniffing them in elementary school.
1. Protein powder
2. A striped Kate Spade (but my company paid for it 🙂 )
3. Definitely food. Then clothes.
4. The only thing I know I’m allergic to for sure is cat hair. And it’s bad!
Have a wonderful weekend, Amanda!!
Worst food splurge lately was last week on a Macadamia & Cashew Nut Butter. It was $8.95 (which I thought was bad enough). When I got home, I looked at he receipt and realized I had paid $18.95 for it!!! WTF! I feel kind of silly taking a small jar back to the store for a refund, but I can’t bear to eat it at $1.00/teaspoon either. Hmm..
$18.95 for a jar of nut butter?! Holy.wow. I’ve never come across one that was that expensive, and I’d definitely be taking it back as well – that’s just insane!
Holy comments! You’re one popular girl my dear.
Let’s take a look at some of these questions, shall we?
What are some of your more expensive foodie splurges? Hmm…honestly? Just going out to eat. And alcohol. Not that I drink a TON but when I do drink I go for the expensive ones. Wine, martinis, dry cocktails. It adds up FAST!
What kind of iPhone cover do you have? Don’t hate me but….I have a droid.
What do you spend most of your money on? Food? Clothes? Shoes? Makeup? Collectible action figures? Food. Going out and eating. That and coffee. And movies. I love the movie theatre.
Do you suffer from allergies around this time of year? Nope, but fall hits me hard!
Mr. Sketch markers!! Thank you for this walk down memory lane! I used to LOVE those markers. So much, in fact, I tried to eat them when I was three or four years-old. Trust me, they don’t taste as good as they smell. 😉
I’m in love with your new iPhone case, too. Pretty darn adorable. Right now, my phone is wearing Kate Spade–red with gold polka dots. However the paint is starting to chip a bit, so I’m thinking case shopping is in the near future. Maybe I need to check out the selection at TJ Maxx!
I definitely spend the majority of my money on food and travel (when I can). Beauty products are a close third–especially those pricey items heralding from Sephora. I’d say about half of my makeup bag is filled with drug store purchases, though. After years of trial and error, I think I’ve found which items are worth the splurge, and which deliver on the save. 🙂
Those dog treats! Gah. No words. Happy almost-Friday, Amanda! <3
Hugs! <3 xoxo
Hey, Amanda!
I just came across your blog and am so glad I did. Love it! I will definitely be coming back to read more! I actually just started a blog, a poetry blog, called One Line at a Time. Feel free to check it out if you’d like! PS- I eat that VERY sour yogurt as well. I know it is good for me but goodness, hard to swallow, literally! I cut up strawberries and put orange slices in mine just to make it bearable! 😛
Thanks for taking the time to say hi, Christine! Your latest poem, A Passing Glance, is really wonderful 🙂 And have you ever tried adding honey to yogurt? That’s one of my favorite combinations.
Thank you so much! And yes, the other day I added a little honey to it, to try to take away the sour, and it definitely helped a little! I think next time I buy yogurt I will aim for the not fat free kind, so I can cut down on the sour!
Almond butter is most definitely my most expensive food product.
No iPhone, unfortunately. 🙁 I’m stuck in the keyboard/slider phone days.
Most of my money goes to eating at restaurants, which is kind of ironic considering I work at one.
I have really bad allergies right now! Which is weird, because I thought I never had allergies. But then my mom told me that I did every year growing up. What a memory I have…
I so agree with the 0% yogurt thing. I’m so excited to finish my 0% Greek yogurt I bought because it was the only kind in the store to move on to my good old 2 %. 🙂
I spend most of my money on groceries and clothes, but I figure since I rarely go out to eat or anything like that, I might as well spend it on things that I love. And I could probably spend a whole day at Whole Foods or at the mall, shopping’s pretty much my favorite hobby. Not that I end up buying something every time I go out, but I still enjoy just window shopping.
I spend the most money on raw snacks that I’ve become addicted to, like flavored nuts and kale chips and bars. It’s kind of a problem, since I could probably make these things at home for way less money, but it’s more about the convenience factor for me and not having to buy all the ingredients needed for those things.
My husband has the worst allergies, like to the point where NOTHING works. Talk about spending a bunch of $$$ on shit and realizing it was all a waste.. gr! However, I have heard that Lavender and drinking warm green tea at night helps most people. Try that if you haven’t already dear 🙂
Can I just say all my food is a splurge since moving to Kuwait. Since we buy food that you’d find in the states, it’s considered international food (duh Ha Ha).. so ricotta cheese will cost ya a whopping $9.00 for one little tub, cantaloupe.. oh boy that’s $12.00, cheese is almost 9 or 10 bucks for a bag. I never thought the stuff I spent the most money on in the states, insert nut butter, would be the cheapest for me to buy since I get it from vitacost online.
Oh my, love the keychain and such… I can definitely see why you had to make that work 😉
On unnecessary (well, depending on how you look at it I suppose) spending. I am the exact same way but with clothes. I have a serious obsession going down. I don’t drink or spend too much going out so I too, tend to rationalize my overspending. I realized that I have a problem the other day when I found three jackets with the tags on (one a lovely summer BCBG trench, another a Tom Brown nautical themed suit jacket and another Vera Wang suit jacket that I love). Totally not trying to name job because I’m so not that kinda girl. I just buy what I like and I found the two suit jackets awhile back at Target (when they have the designers come in and create fashions for us lay people) and Kohl’s respectively. But I digress, I’m getting a little side-tracked here… My point, I spend way too much on stuff. My madre (aka Mom) even supports this bad habit. Can you believe that we were shopping in the states on Monday and went to the Coach outlet store and I found a purse I loved and didn’t know which one to buy – the classic or the super springy yellow leather with beautiful designs. Well, I finally decided to buy one and then my mom somehow slipped in there and bought the other one in the midst of the chaos. When I asked what she bought, she said something for a friend and then surprised me yesterday night at dinner! Gah, loves her. But bad, because it supports my uncontrollable shopping habit.
OK, onto the next. I was totally thinking about the dying breed of phones known as the “payphone” – so weird that I remember way back in elementary school when cell phones weren’t all over the place that my friends and I used to be able to call each other in town by calling payphones. It was kind of a fun game to see who would answer and more importantly if said friend would answer. On more than one occasion, the wrong person would answer and I’d ask them to see if the friend I was trying to reach was near. They’d call out said friend’s name and voila, friend answers the phone. It was kind of awesome in a totally lame and somewhat bizarre kind of way. Ha!
Alright, that’s all I got… and it’s a lot! Hehehe… 😉
Love that story about your mom! So sweet 😀 I have the same kind of weakness for purses, but thankfully it doesn’t extend to clothes. If it did, I’d be in some serious trouble…
The day I discovered 2% greek yogurt and then allowed myself to have it (hey there fat fears), was a really GREAT day. It’s extra creamy and yes, much less sour and has just a… better taste, hard to describe but I get ya
Scented markers and payphones, I sure as heck remember those! The kids I babysit for have all of those scented markers and we smell them… often lol. I do not like the orange one, the scent is crazy strong and narstyyyy
I hoard things like those chips when I find them on sale! I mean why not, plus no worries for quite some time AND saving that muulllaaaa
calories on dog food? Are they going to start counting calories now? Oh sheesh.
And don’t get me started on allergies. sneeze fest!!
I could never get into Kombucha! Blech, sorry lol. But although Sbux coffee isn’t that expensive on its own, buying it daily has started adding up!
My iPhone cover is just plain black. I’m actually one of those weird people that doesn’t like to get cutesy covers for my phone (even though yours is admittedly adorable!)… I have no clue why. I once bought a purse that was literally a pug — it was supposed to look like you’re carrying a dog under your arm and I’d wear it for fun occasionally lol… so I’m not against buying cute stuff, but iPhone covers? I keep ’em simple.
I would say that I spend the most money on makeup though, because even though I tend to apply makeup the same way and stick with relatively the same stuff, I still like to experiment a little with different brands and whatnot.
THOSE MARKERS! HAHA I LOVED those markers. I remember not liking the brown one either..I don’t remember the scent though. Stocking up on discounted goods is ALWAYS acceptable..always. That iPhone case is so cute, mine is black..that’s it just plain black haha. I like it simple I guess.
ALL of my money goes to food. I rarely buy clothes (except today I actually bought a few new work outfits and ONE play shirt yay!) My most expensive foodie buys are probably my self ground PB, some of my veggies (the less common ones) and maybe some of my bulk foods. I don’t find myself splurging on food as much though now that I don’t work at Trader Joe’s..that job was a death trap for my wallet. HAH.
The brown one supposedly smells like cinnamon… although not any kind of cinnamon that I’d want to eat…
Winners! I love Winners! So many good foodie finds there.
I spend most of my money on restaurants (especially sushi), clothes and food. Some of my biggest food splurges are good quality balsamic vinegar, cheese, almond butter and the occasional kombucha.
And I totally agree about the Greek yogurt. I just cannot buy the plain 0% kind – it makes me pucker when I try to eat it!
thats crazy counting the dogs calories.. i love that case! Mine is pink leopard glitter with rhinstones, so me lol. I agree, if I sit for to long I am so tired and never want to get up. My friends don’t realize why I want to constantly be active even if it’s just walking to DD. I too go through so much almond/peanut butter that it is pretty pricey, plus my chocolate chips god damn! Dairy free chocolate chips is expensive but I can’t leave the store without buying a bag. Most of my food goes to food and going out (usually for food lol and drinks) but I rarely buy myself anything otherwise which really is annoying. I did however go to the mall today and buy wayyyy to many dresses, finally something for myself besides food lol. Those markers were my FAV growing up, even though they really didn’t smell all that good, I thought I was so cool having them in school lol
THOSE MARKERS! Ahhh…I can’t believe they still exist! I definitely need to make a trip to Office Depot or Staples to find them! I seriously spent all of elementary school obsessing fighting over the pink and purple ones…
And you’re not the only one who gets more tired from sitting around- I’m the same way. When I’m working and running errands all day I have TONS of energy but as soon as I sit down, I’m pooped. It’s like my body finally has a chance to realize that it’s tired…haha
I completely agree about being totally wiped and exhausted after a day of sitting. I’m a firm believer in the whole, a body at rest tends to stay at rest thing. When I’m moving around all day, it’s only natural that I keep moving around. But after sitting at my desk all day, it’s so hard sometimes to snap myself out of it and get moving after work. I’m always happy once I do though! And counting calories for dogs? That’s just plain crazy to me. Also the plain yogurt, maybe that’s why I can’t stand the taste of plain? I usually buy 0% whenever I grab it for smoothies etc, but I can’t eat it straight up at all. Give me some vanilla!
Definitely give the 2% a try! I never even realized it made such a huge difference until recently, and if it’s still too tart, add some honey. The sweet and tangy combo is all sorts of amazing.
I think the phone case is adorable 🙂 And I’m kind of ashamed to say I usually get 0% plain greek yogurt, and every time I think it’s too tangy. I need to try 2% next time!
I actually saw those treats when I was out looking for treats for Atti last weekend. I was just like “umm…is that a good thing?” If I refuse to count my own calories, I’m certainly not going to start for my dog.
And I adore your IPhone cover. I’m actually starting to kick myself in the butt a little bit for not getting an IPhone when I got my new plan last December. I basically went with the cheapest option, and yea…it was the cheapest for a reason.
And my parents got me a $50 Winners gift card as a “congrats-on-finishing-the-semester-and-getting-a-job-now-go-buy-some-clothes” thing. Except I know most of that is going to go to foodie things – Winners has actually gotten really good for foodie stuff! I really need more work pants…but yes. Fancy foodie things will happen.
I want to drink more Kombucha…but I’m cheap. Biggest foodie splurge…probably Zevia. I try not to drink it too much cause of the price, but I do end up buying a whole bunch whenever it goes on sale.
That sock- he pulls the same trick with me 😉 my family has never had much money, and I’ve been working since 14 to help out with everything- so I feel like I agonise over evey purchase! But we are so lucky that my papa is a fisherman and my nonna has a farm!! We get so much of our food that way- very blessed! I have seen how much it has taken for my parents to get my brother and myself through university- I can’t believe their hard-work and generosity, so I really try and be careful with money- I get free gelato where I work though (best-perk!!)- and I did splurge on my second-ever pair of heels to wear on my rendezvous with the Australian tomorrow 😉 so excited! I love that you have eclectic music taste- as do I- but I have I admit I have been listening to a lot of Eurovision songs this week- in fact I think music is my biggest splurge ( thank goodness for libraries otherwise I would be broke lol) Lots of love Sophia
Awwr Sophia, your parents sound like such wonderful people! I think it must be a European thing – my parents have been incredibly generous and self-sacrificing with me as well, and I honestly couldn’t imagine what I’d do without their support. And girl!!! You better be sharing the deets from your date with Mr.Aussie! Sending you all the good vibes 😀
Your parents sound like absolutely beautiful spirits too! I do love how strong family is in Europe 😉 I will totally keep you updated- I don’t think those heels will come to much good, we will probably end up dancing barefoot in Genoa tomorrow! We are going to a big re-play of Eurovision (he can soak up the kitch pop- it’s part of being in Europe!) Xo Sophia
Those markers were the best! Although the makers should definitely reconsider some of those scents…some were toxic-smelling! My friend has an iphone case that looks like an elephant head – big, floppy ears and all!
My cover is plain red because I couldnt find a blackhawks one, also I spend way to much money on apple chips too!
I recently made the switch to 2% greek yogurt – thanks to you! You definitely don’t realize how much better it is until you try it 🙂 And I saw those chips at Winners, but they looked too weird for me. Perhaps I will have to go back and reevaluate! Super jealous of the phone case, by the way 😉
Enjoyed reading this post! Made me laugh out loud reminiscing about the Mr. Sketch scented markers (I forgot about these!). I was totally into the pink one…it smelled so good!
I kind of have a shoe addiction! There’s just so many cute shoes out there! I can’t help myself sometimes…ugh! So bad!
My allergies are killer this year! I swear they get worse and worse every year. My eyes are super itchy, I can’t stop sneezing and my nose is running like crazy. So annoying! All I can say is thank goodness for Claritin!
Ah! I totally saw those chips at Winners but didn’t stock up – I was distracted by the box of Simply Bars I found! Must go back immediately…
I get mild allergies – nothing that requires meds, but as of today, my throat is scratchy & I feel slightly feverish. I’ve been taking extra Vitamin C to help cope.
Food splurges – nut butter, Simply Bars, kombucha, organic meat & dairy, sprouted grain bread, pure maple syrup & a really good quality whey protein powder.
Simply Bars at Winners?! Gah! I didn’t see those, but I can’t eat the regular kind because of allergies. I’ve been looking for the Simply Whey bars, though… have you seen those anywhere?
I feel like the pollen has been craaazy this year. I was sitting at a stop light yesterday and it literally looked like it was snowing from the amount of pollen that was swirling in the air. Luckily I don’t really have allergies and it doesn’t affect me, but I see how much it affects everyone else in my family.
Midweek trips to the mall are the best! Sometimes they’re retail therapy is the best therapy available 🙂 I feel like most of my money tends to go towards shoes…I know I can only wear one pair at a time, but there are just so many occasions for them. Or not. haha. As far as my foodie splurges go…I’d have to say it’s most of the time kombucha and coconut butter. Why are they so freakishly expensive??
And those markers! I definitely remember those markers. And how everyone was always competing to have the best smelling ones! Fun times.
Ps – that iphone case is too cute!
My current expensive food obsession is kale chips! I make my own on occasion, but nothing beats buying them pre-made. They are just so darn good, I can’t help myself! Oops! 😉